SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Your data is safe: Turnbull

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says all data submitted in the census is safe.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census website
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says all data submitted in the census is safe. Source: AAP

1 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Skip to article content

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has reassured Australians their data is safe after the census was shut down due to cyber attacks.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics took down the census website in "an abundance of caution" on Tuesday night, Mr Turnbull told reporters in Sydney.

The site would be restored as soon as intelligence agency Australian Signals Directorate and the ABS and its contractor IBM were satisfied it was safe to do so, he said.

"The site has not been hacked, it has not been interfered with, their data is safe."

Mr Turnbull said his cyber security adviser Alastair MacGibbon would lead a "very thorough review" into what happened.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Treasurer Scott Morrison said the ABS had an unblemished record when it came to security of census data and had taken every step on Tuesday to protect that record.

"The issue the ABS has been criticised for is being over-cautious last night," Mr Morrison said.

"They chose to place people's data security and any possible, possible compromise to that as being more important than convenience last night."


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world